>> pelley: tonight, major changes in immigration policy with support from democrats and republicans. for the first time, illegal immigrants would have a path to citizenship. >> times have changed; americans have changed, elections have changed. >> reporter: reports from nancy cordes on capitol hill and john blackstone in california. with more than 200 dead in the brazilian nightclub fire, michelle miller looks at weather american clubs are safe. which is better for breast cancer survival: lumpectomy or mastectomy? dr. jon lapook on a new study. and with all eyes on the super bowl city, mark strassmann discovers an army of volunteers still rebuilding homes seven years after katrina.

>> this is where i want to be, back here in new orleans. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, when republicans and democrats say they have found agreement on a major controversy, that's news. and that's where we begin tonight. influential members of the senate-- four from each party-- said today they have a breakthrough on comprehensive immigration reform. which would include a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants and tough enforcement of the borders. immigration is also one of the president's highest priorities for his second term. there are a lot of ways this could fail, but many on capitol hill agree tonight it's the best chance in years. nancy cordes is at the capitol with details. nancy? >> reporter: scott, these eight

senators say they sense an opening on the issue now and a new willingness among republicans to compromise on immigration after president obama won the latino vote by 71% in the november election. the senators behind the plan are a bipartisan group of heavy hitters. new york democrat charles schumer is their unofficial leader. >> we believe this will be the year congress finally gets it done. the politics on this issue have been turned upside down. for the first time ever there's more political risk in opposing immigration reform than in supporting it. >> reporter: their plan would grant illegal immigrants temporary legal status to stay in the country if they pass a criminal background check, pay a fine and back taxes and learn english. but they would have to get the back of the line for citizenship-- a process that would only start once border security has been improved with more agents and more drones.

in 2007, republicans brought down a similar plan arguing it amounts to amnesty. but arizona's john mccain who championed reform then and now says he senses a major shift among his g.o.p. colleagues. >> you look at the demographics of this country and the rising hispanic population, we're not going to win races. >> reporter: you've tried so many times to pass immigration reform. what gives you confidence this time will be different? >> times have changed; americans have changed; elections have changed and i'm not saying it's going to be easy and i'm not saying we're going to be succeed this time but i think the chances are better than they've ever been. >> reporter: he and the other senators say they hope to put this plan into legislation that can be voted on in the senate by spring but, scott, already today a handful of republicans rushed to the senate floor to put the brakes on this proposal. >> pelley: nancy, the senate is one thing. you have to imagine this is

going to have a lot of trouble in the house. >> reporter: that's true. we learned today a similar move is taking place in the house. a group of democrats and republicans working quietly behind the scenes to craft policy that will probably look a lot like what we saw from this group of eight senators today. the real rub is going to be the details. republicans in particular are going to want assurances that the border security component is real, that it's effective before they agree to let anyone have legal status. >> pelley: nancy, thanks very much. of course, any child born in the united states is automatically an american citizen mexican mothers have for many years crossed the boarder to give birth for that reason. but john blackstone reporting in los angeles has discovered that maternity tourism in america has caught on with mothers in china. >> reporter: her name is ada lin she's four months old and the only american citizen in her family. her parents-- who agreed to

speak with us if they didn't show their faces-- traveled from china to los angeles so ada could be born in america and claim u.s. citizenship. "i want her to live a happy life" her father says. "the family is back in china now. they're among thousands of chinese who've become so-called birth tourists. staying in maternity hotels near los angeles. these hotels are often single-family homes in quiet neighborhoods. >> not here! not here! >> reporter: at least two are in chino hills, california, where residents are annoyed at the frequent comings and going. chino hills resident mow sana'a mitchell. why does this offend you? >> when people think of the american dream they're not thinking about birth tourism. they're thinking about people who come here, immigrate here, work hard, pay their taxes, become citizens and become americans. >> reporter: ada lin's family paid $27, the000 to a chinese agency with a web site that advertises the advantages of giving birth

in america. the agency helps arrange u.s. tourist visas, lodging and medical care. the practice does not violate federal immigration laws but it gives chinese parents the option down the road to have their american children attend u.s. universities or live here. the lins say having ada in the united states allowed them to get around china's one-child policy. it restricts most women from giving birth to more than one child in china. the lins say that restriction does not apply to chinese who give birth overseas. this hill top home was converted into a maternity hotel that housed as many as 30 pregnant chinese women at a time. it apparently didn't break immigration laws but local officials managed to close it down, scott, for violating building codes. >> pelley: john, thank you very much. in brazil, police detained three people in the weekend nightclub fire that took more than 230

lives. it happened in santa maria, a college town. many were college students. witnesses say a band was playing and the lead singer ignited a flare as part of the show. the ceiling caught fire, there were no sprinklers. in the stampede people fell at the front door blocking the exit. they were taken away by the truckload. the dead are now in a gym filled with caskets. us t police are holding two members of the band and a club manager. simon romero is the brazil bureau chief of the "new york times." he's in santa maria tonight and we spoke with him earlier by phone. >> reporter: the survivors' identities, just seeing the mayhem and horror from inside the nightclub. i interviewed one woman right in front of the stage when the fire ignited by a flare going off. she couldn't believe what happens happening. everyone around her was still dancing and having a great time.

she was in disbelief and started screaming and made her way to the exits and survived. >> pelley: what if anything prevented people from getting out. >> some survivors said security guards at the exit to the club were preventing people from leaving. these guards thought that people were trying to leave without paying their tab so they just pushed these security guards down and pushed their way through the door. and many people did survive that way. of course hundreds did not and some of the emergency responders that we've talked to have described just incredible scenes inside when they got inside. they looked into the bathrooms, for instance, where people tried to get out through the windows and they literally found dozens of bodies piled up on top of one another. >> pelley: it's traditional in brazil to have funerals right away and a number of those funerals have happened already. i understand you were at the cemetery. can you describe that scene for us? >> it was one of the most difficult things i've ever seen

that. cemetery, i saw multiple families holding funerals at the same time you coulder that wails, the cries of mothers and other relatives who were seeing the caskets of their loved ones lowered into the ground. >> pelley: "new york times" bureau chief simon romero. what happened in brazil is similar to what happened in warwick, rhode island, nearly ten years ago. 100 people died when the station nightclub burned down and like the club in brazil, the station had no sprinklers. we wondered whether the fire codes have changed since that tragedy and we asked michelle miller to pooh find out. >> i need to be here. i need to be with all of these people. >> reporter: on the site of the station nightclub, there are 100 crosses. each represents a victim, including gina russo's fiance fred crisostomi. she was a few feet from the stage when fireworks ignited insulating foam in the walls and

ceiling tiles. the club was engulfed in flames in less than six minutes. her fiance saved her life. >> he put his hand on the middle of my back and pushed me and screamed "go." and when i tried to turn around to look at him and find him all i saw was a sea of people, their heads on fire, the glass was shattering, the lights were shattering and the ceiling was melting black rain. >> reporter: rhode island's fire codes at the time required sprinklers in new buildings that held more than 300 people. the station was exempt because it was older. but the tragedy prompted new fire code guidelines from the national fire protection association. the group includes fire officials, insurance companies and builders. the association called for sprinklers in clubs hosting 100 people or more. regular inspections to eliminate obstructions near exits and trained managers to handle crowds. but it's up to local governments to implement and enforce those codes and the effort to get tax breaks to businesses to upgrade sprinkler systems has stalled.

what's the lesson? >> the lesson is we all need to get smart. this isn't going to be the last fire in a club. the next one is going to be even bigger because no one's paying attention. >> reporter: the national fire protection association told us the codes written after the station fire have been largely adopted for new nightclubs. but, scott, the group also estimates that fewer than 12 states have actually implemented those new rules for existing clubs. >> pelley: when you go in the club, know where the exists are. michelle, thank you very much. those protests in egypt are now growing more violent by the day. more than 50 people have died since friday. president mohamed morsi has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in three cities, but that hasn't stopped the protesters who accuse him of monopolizing power and putting islamic fundamentalists in charge. there have been five days of protests sparked by the second anniversary of the uprising that brought down mubarak.

the boy scouts of america is rethinking its ban on gays. a mother loses all of her children-- one by one-- to gun violence. and seven years after katrina, new orleans is still rebuilding. when the "cbs evening news" continues. [ loud party sounds ] hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got nine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat.

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legislation. he met at the white house today with police officials from around the country, including aurora, colorado, oak creek, wisconsin, and newtown, connecticut-- the scenes of recent mass shootings. the president called on congress to pass an assault weapons ban. in chicago, gun violence is taking more lives-- 50 since newtown. and dean reynolds tells us it has been another deadly weekend. >> reporter: among the seven people murdered in chicago this past weekend was 33-year-old ronnie chambers, shot dead in a parked van. he was the last surviving child of shirley chambers who now has lost all four of her children to gun violence. we spoke to her today at a local funeral home. do you think that there's something sick in chicago? >> it's not chicago, it's these people with these guns, this -- they shouldn't have the guns,

you know? >> reporter: her son was a former gang member who stole cars, sold drugs about spent time in prison. >> he had changed his life. he was trying to help other people. so whatever he did in his past, that's in the past. he changed. >> reporter: just last month he appeared on the ricki lake show as an example of transformation. >> i told myself that, you know, i need to protect my mother and be out here for her. >> reporter: mayor rahm emanuel told us the problem here is more than guns. >> i think we have to deal with this not just with our gun control but with a values-based education. >> how dare you? >> reporter: he made his frustration clear at the height of the violence last summer. >> where were you raised and who raised you? >> reporter: who raised you. that resonated with a lot of people. there is a values piece where people are so -- i don't know, careless, dismissive, totally are devoid of any sense of right

from wrong. >> reporter: cherylly chambers insists her son was different. >> ron any knew right from wrong. he wanted to change his life for his mother. he loved me and i loved him. >> reporter: but that love was not enough to keep him safe. dean reynolds, cbs news, chicago. >> pelley: the boy scouts of america announced today it may lift its ban on gays and lesbians. the organization said it is considering a new policy that would leave the issue up to local scout troops and their sponsors. in the year 2000, the supreme court upheld the ban. but the scouts have been losing some of their corporate and school sponsors. the national board is expected to make a decision on this next week. new research could help breast cancer patients choose between a mastectomy and a lumpectomy.ur cancer patients choose between a mastectomy and a lumpectomy.ur that story is next. ess saturate? it's eb. eggland's best eggs. better taste. better nutrition.

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>> pelley: women diagnosed with breast cancer often face a tough decision: whether to have a mastectomy or a lumpectomy. a new study out today by researchers at duke medicine say that patients with early stage breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation have a better chance. we asked dr. jon lapook to tell us more. >> reporter: 50-year-old college professor toni spring was diagnosed last june with early stage breast cancer. after consulting with two surgeons, she scheduled a double mastectomy. >> they take a marker and they mark up your whole body and you

just -- it's a very, very, like -- it puts it into reality that you're getting carved up and reattached and all kinds of things. >> reporter: just before surgery spring decided to have a third consultation with dr. freya schnabel of n.y.u. langone medical center who encouraged her to have a less invasive option, a lumpectomy in which only a small portion of the breast is removed plus radiation treatment. >> it made me feel very empowered that i had a decision where before i didn't think i had such a decision. >> reporter: today's study of more than 1 12,000 women with early breast cancer-- including patients such as spring who are 50 and over and have tumors fueled by hormones. they were 14% less likely to die from breast cancer after lumpectomy and radiation than after mastectomy. >> i think it's particularly important today when there has been an observed trend in america over the last few years of an increase in the rate of women having mastectomies even

if their breast cancers were suitable for treatment with breast conserving surgery. >> reporter: the rate of mastectomies has increased as much as 2% each year since 2000 even though previous research found the two approaches had equivalent outcomes. >> i think that sometimes patients think that because a mastectomy is a bigger operation that it means that it's better treatment. and even though they would prefer perhaps a lumpectomy their sense is that it's a better treatment and they opt in that direction. >> reporter: dr. schnabel told me some women with early breast cancer may choose to get a mastectomy for various reasons. >> a strong family history, not wanting to undergo frequent breast surveillance but she said these women should understand that mastectomy is not giving them a better chance of a cure. >> pelley: important. jon, thanks very much. it's a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

that is one of the most famous opening lines in all of english literature from jane austen's requested pride and prejudice" and this is the 200th anniversary today of the publishing of the novel. it has been read by millions, seen by millions for big screen adaptations. as new orleans prepares to host the super bowl, we'll check on the city's recovery from katrina. next. here he comes. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job, the pitch! whoa! so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid-related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. there is risk of bone fracture and low magnesium levels. side effects may include headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. call your doctor right away if you have persistent diarrhea. other serious stomach conditions may exist. don't take nexium if you take clopidogrel.

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>> pelley: late today, the senate gave final congressional approval to more than $50 billion in aid to victims of superstorm sandy. while in new orleans the super bowl next weekend is a mile zone in that city's recovery from hurricane katrina. seven out of ten homes were damaged or destroyed there, and mark strassmann tells us that some residents still don't have them back. >> reporter: this place needs everything. >> yes. >> reporter: wayne and monica ferrier still dream of returning to their gutted home in new orleans east seven years after katrina ruined it. you guys still feel like the evacuees? >> yes, absolutely. >> reporter: seven and a half years is a long time. >> i would never have imagined to be out of my home that long. >> reporter: the ferriers say they would have been back home by now but a fraudulent

contractor pocketed their $60 fema and insurance settlement in 2007 and disappeared. >> this is the kitchen. >> reporter: wayne, an accountant and monica, an event coordinator, have rented an apartment ever since. >> it was like, you know, someone walking up to you with a pen and paper. >> reporter: new orleans is a patchwork of recovery. in places like the lower ninth ward, new orleans east and general tilley, homes still sit crumbling. these volunteers belong to "project homecoming," a new orleans-based organization that depends on donations to help katrina victims rebuild. this damaged house-- vacant since the hurricane-- belongs to an elderly grandmother also scammed by a contractor. project homecoming has rebuilt 150 homes in the last five years

jean-marie peacock is the group's executive director. >> it does get hearter. >> reporter: because? >> the feeling is everything is fine in new orleans and there can't be that much of a need any longer. >> reporter: peacock says project homecoming gets three or four new calls every week. three quarters of them are from people scammed by contractors. >> then we're going to sand it down. >> reporter: project homecoming's volunteers will begin $75,000 worth of reconstruction on the ferriers' home in march. >> it took us a while to find our home that we fell in love with so this is where i want to be. back here in new orleans east. (laughs) >> reporter: if construction finishes on time, the ferriers could complete their long road home in august, eight years after katrina drove them away. mark strassmann, cbs news, new orleans. >> pelley: and that's the "cbs evening news" for tonight. for all of us at cbs news all around the world, good night.

captioning sponsored by cbs i live surrounded by immigrants. my neighbors are immigrants. my family is immigrants. i see immigration every single day. i see the good of immigration. >> a rare sight in washington. a bipartisan piece of legislation being proposed on immigration reform. that bill could be welcome news for millions of people working in the shadows here in the united states. we get more from reporter, daniel nottingham on capitol hill. >> the so-called gang of eight say the timing is right to reform immigration laws. >> the american people support this in poll after poll when you take the